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Co-Curricular Education

In STARS, the co-curricular education section deals with efforts to provide sustainability education opportunities to students outside of the classroom. This includes organic gardens, outdoor education programs, and other programs and events that encourage students to learn about sustainability.

ER Credit 1: Student Sustainability Educators Program (4.99/5)

Description of credit:

STARS Education & Research credit 1 recognizes institutions with functioning student sustainability educators programs. UVM’s Eco-Reps program is a peer to peer sustainability education program to which every student on campus is exposed. Eco-Reps are student leaders who develop behavior change campaigns, organize farmers markets, and organize events like waste sorts and light bulb swaps, in addition to taking a 1 credit class about sustainability education. Based on the STARS calculations institutions earn maximum points for this credit by offering peer-to-peer sustainability outreach programs. UVM would receive 4.99 out of 5.00 points for this credit.

ER Credit 2: Student Sustainability Outreach Campaign (5/5)

Description of credit:

STARS Education & Research credit 2 recognizes institutions with student sustainability outreach campaigns. The Bye-bye Bottled Water, Real Food Challenge, and Follow the Leaf campaigns at UVM all apply. Bye-bye Bottled Water ended the sale of bottled water on campus beginning January 1, 2013. UVM was the fifth school to sign on to the Real Food Challenge, pledging to serve at least 20% “real food” by 2020. The Follow the Leaf campaign is an Eco-Reps led initiative for UVM students to write out and publicize their eco-pledges. Based on STARS calculations institutions earn maximum points for this credit by holding sustainability outreach campaigns that yield measurable, positive results in advancing the institution’s sustainability performance. UVM would receive a 5.00 out of 5.00 points for this credit.

ER Credit 3: Sustainability in New Student Orientation (2/2)

Description of credit:

STARS Education & Research credit 3 recognizes institutions that include sustainability in new student orientation. At UVM, orientation information is placed on a USB, which contains information about sustainable transportation and sustainable dining options. Based on the STARS calculations institutions earn maximum points for this credit by encouraging new students to adopt sustainable habits at their new university. UVM would receive a 2.00 out of 2.00 points for this credit.

Contact of Responsible Party:

Erica Spiegel

Supervisor, UVM Recycling/Solid Waste Office

Supporting Documents:

ER Credit 4: Sustainability Materials and Publications (4/4)

Description of credit:

4. STARS Education & Research credit 4 recognizes institutions that produce outreach materials and publications that enhance student learning about sustainability outside of the formal classroom. UVM has a sustainability website featuring sustainability events and news relevant to campus, offers a service learning course called “Campus Sustainability” in which students are given the opportunity to conduct their own research, designates LEED buildings on campus, provides information about sustainable food systems, has guides for sustainable transportation, and incorporates sustainability into the residential experience. UVM also produces a Clean Energy Fund report and a Cooling UVM report,.. Based on the STARS calculations institutions earn maximum points for this credit by producing outreach materials and/or publications that foster sustainability learning and knowledge. UVM would receive 4.00 out of 4.00 points for this credit.

Tier Two Credits

ER Credit 1: Student Group (0.25/0.25)

Description of credit:

ER-T2-1 recognizes institutions with active student groups promoting sustainability on campus. UVM has the Bike Users Group (BUG), Vermont Students Towards Environmental Protection (VSTEP), and Common Ground Farm. Based on the STARS calculations institutions receive maximum points for this credit by having active student groups working on sustainability measures in the community. UVM would receive 0.25 out of 0.25 points for this credit.

Credit 2: Organic Garden (0.25/0.25)

Description of credit:

Note: This page displays data from a 2009 pilot study. Updated, official data for UVM's STARS submission will be available in early 2014.

This Tier Two credit is awarded to institutions that have an organic garden for students to work on for educational purposes. The garden does not have to be Certified Organic, but has to practice organic gardening techniques. UVM has three organic gardens on campus that students can work on:

The common garden near the GreenHouse is managed by the GreenHouse Garden Guild and employs organic practices. The Guild is a group of students that design, plant, tend, and harvest the garden under the supervision of Professor Terry Delaney. The students also cook meals together with the food grown in the garden. The program has an educational purpose, although there is no academic credit for the work completed and participation is voluntary. The students learn about crop rotation, planting dates, garden planning, and food preparation.

The Common Ground Farm is located in South Burlington and is entirely run by a student club. It is a 3 acre farm where students grow vegetables for a Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA). Dr. Yolanda Chen teaches two formal classes on the farm.

There is a small organic garden outside the Jeffords science building. The UVM club Campus Kitchens grows vegetables in the garden to use in hot meals for those in need in the Burlington area. Dr. Yolanda Chen also teaches a class (PSS 124 ‘Agroecology of Vegetable Crops’) where students design research studies using the Jeffords gardens.

ER Credit 2: Organic Garden (0.25/0.25)

Description of credit:

STARS Education & Research credit -T2-2 recognizes institutions with an organic garden. UVM has a common garden near the GreenHouse managed by the GreenHouse Garden Guild, as well as the Common Ground farm in which students grow produce on 3 acres for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiatives. Based on the STARS calculations institutions receive maximum points for this credit by having an on-campus garden where students are able to gain organic farming experience. UVM would receive 0.25 out of 0.25 points for this credit.

ER Credit 3: Model Room in Residence Hall (0/0.25)

Description of credit:

STARS Education & Research credit -T2-3 recognizes institutions with on-campus model rooms with sustainability features. UVM does offer a model room, but it does not demonstrate sustainability or sustainable living specifically. Based on the STARS calculations institutions receive maximum points for this credit by featuring model rooms that demonstrates sustainability practices in dorms. UVM would receive 0.00 out of 0.25 points for this credit.

Contact of Responsible Party:

Stacey Miller, Director of Residential Life

ResLife

Steve Posner, Eco-Reps Coordinator

Office of Sustainability

Supporting Documents:

N/A

ER Credit 4: Themed Housing (0.25/0.25)

Description of credit:

STARS Education & Research credit -T2-4 recognizes institutions with sustainability themed on-campus housing. UVM offers the Green House and Slade Hall residential learning communities, both of which require separate applications to live in. Green House hosts a series of guilds, workshops, and field trips focusing on sustainability, and Slade Hall focuses on eating sustainably, composting, and reducing water waste. Based on the STARS calculations institutions receive maximum points for this credit by offering sustainably-themed housing options in which residents learn about sustainability together. UVM would receive 0.25 out of 0.25 points for this credit.

ER Credit 5: Sustainable Enterprise (0.25/0.25)

Description of credit:

ER-T2-5 recognizes institutions that offer student-run sustainability enterprises. UVM has the Bike Users Group, which runs its own bicycle maintenance shop, and the Common Grounds farm, which organizes a CSA program. Based on STARS calculations institutions receive maximum points for this credit by offering enterprises through which students can gain sustainable business skills. UVM would receive a 0.25 out of 0.25 for this credit.

ER Credit 6: Sustainability Events (0.25/0.25)

Description of credit:

STARS Education & Research credit -T2-6 recognizes institutions that run on-campus sustainability events. UVM hosts its annual Earth Week celebration with events designed to educate students about sustainability practices. UVM also offers weekly seminars on Campus Food and Energy, Ecological Economics, Natural Resources, and Sustainability. Based on STARS calculations institutions receive maximum points for this credit by holding major events related to sustainability, such as conferences, speaker series, or symposia, which have students as the intended audience. UVM would receive 0.25 out of 0.25 points for this credit.

ER Credit 7: Outdoors Program (0.25/0.25)

Description of credit:

STARS Education & Research credit -T2-7 recognizes institutions with functioning outdoors programs. UVM has a student run outing club, which hosts trips every weekend as well as a week-long TREK option for incoming first year students. Based on STARS calculations institutions receive maximum points for this credit for offeringa wilderness or outdoors program that organizes hiking, backpacking, kayaking, or other outings for students and follows Leave No Trace principles. UVM would receive 0.25 out of 0.25 points for this credit.

ER Credit 8: Themed Semester of the Year (0/0.25)

Description of credit:

STARS Education & Research credit -T2-8 recognizes institutions that offer a sustainability themed semester, year, or first year experience. UVM requires all first year students to read a book over the summer. This year the book, “The Ghost Map”, raised ideas about urban planning, and in 2014 the book will be related to food systems. Based on STARS calculations institutions receive maximum points for this credit by choosing a sustainability-related theme for its themed semester, year, or first-year experience during the past three years, which could take the form of choosing a sustainability-related book for the common reading. UVM would receive 0.25 out of 0.25 points for this credit.